CANADA
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
A Maytree idea
Cities of Migration is a Maytree idea
Copyright 2013 The Maytree Foundation
The Maytree Foundation
Ratna Omidvar, President
Cities of Migration
Kim Turner, Project Leader
Markus Stadelman-Elder, Communications Manager
Layout and design: Sarah Gledhill
The Maytree Foundation
170 Bloor Street West
Suite 804
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5S 1T9
+ 416 944 2627
[email protected]
citiesofmigration.org
www.maytree.com
ISBN: 978-0-9917441-5-2
Partners
Supporters
Community Partners
About Cities of Migration
Cities of Migration is led by the Maytree Foundation in
partnership with international foundations active in the
migration and integration field: the Barrow Cadbury Trust
(United Kingdom), Bertelsmann Stiftung (Germany), the
Tindall Foundation (New Zealand) and the Fundación
Bertelsmann (Spain). In the United States, the project is
supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and
the J.M. Kaplan Fund. In Europe, the project is supported
by Open Society Foundations’ At Home in Europe.
Community partnerships also help sustain our work: The
Runnymede Trust (United Kingdom); OMEGA (New
Zealand); National League of Cities (United States).
Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Canada
Getting immigration policy right has never been more
barriers to successful settlement and engage newcomers to
important to Canadians and the communities we live
ensure their meaningful participation in our communities.
in. Canada is counting on newcomers to replace retiring
workers, keep our businesses growing, and help meet the
needs of an aging population. With an aging population
and slowing birth rates, by 2015-2016, Human Resources
and Skills Development Canada notes that 100% of our net
labour growth will come from new immigrants1.
What draws immigrants to a particular place? Canadianbased studies consistently identify “family or friends” as the
top reason for a newcomer’s choice of city, with “job or
job prospects” typically identified next. The reality is that
in their first years here, newcomers are first and foremost
In a competitive world where talented workers are highly
mobile, Canadian cities are working to meet these needs,
deliver the core services that ensure newcomers start on
solid ground, and have the greatest opportunity to establish
roots in our communities.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities is pleased
to support the work of Cities of Migration to highlight
leadership in cities and communities across Canada in the
Canadian edition of Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal
Leadership in Immigrant Integration.
settling into life in a city where people, employers and
New immigrants are essential to maintaining strong
organizations can make a real difference in creating that
communities in a prosperous Canada. Helping newcomers
sense of community.
to achieve their potential and their dreams is a role that
Canadian municipalities are at the very heart of the immigrant
experience in Canada. Cities are the unofficial welcome wagon,
directly and indirectly providing services, and delivering
a quality of life that is essential to creating welcoming
many communities perform well, and sharing best practices
such as the initiatives explored in this report will help
communities everywhere to embrace and foster all that
newcomers have to offer.
communities and ensuring the success of new Canadians.
Our economic future depends on attracting, retaining and
integrating immigrants into our communities over the longterm. The sooner new Canadians can find their feet and put
their skills to work, the better it is for our entire country.
Locally delivered services like housing, recreation, library
services, child care, and public transit are being used by new
immigrants and play a significant role in their settlement process.
For example, without stable housing, families experience
greater difficulties finding jobs, and enrolling children in
school and becoming part of community life. Inadequate
transit service affects where newcomers can live and work
and whether they connect to the community. Municipalities
are finding innovative ways to remove these and other
Karen Leibovici
FCM President
Councillor, City of Edmonton
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has been the
national voice of municipal government since 1901. FCM represents
close to 90% of the Canadian population – almost 2,000 municipal
governments across the country.
1
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada
www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/publications_resources/research/categories/llsd/2002/km_slc/page07.shtml
3
Acknowledgements
Cities of Migration tells stories about cities that
Thank you also to the team at Maytree who worked to
are animated by the energy and opportunity that
put this series together: Markus Stadelmann-Elder and
immigration brings, cities that are working in innovative
Sarah Gledhill for communications and design; Piali
and practical ways to foster inclusion, diversity, and
Roy, Bonnie Mah, Marco Campana, and an international
shared urban prosperity.
web of contributors, for researching and writing the
In Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal Leadership in
Immigrant Integration, and a series of companion country
reports, we share more than 70 good practices that
highlight how local governments can contribute to the
prosperity and future well-being of their cities through wise
investments in immigrant integration. In Practice to Policy:
Lessons from Local Leadership, international experts offer
policy insights and a set of practical recommendations for
city leaders and their community partners.
In this report, Canada: Good Ideas from Successful Cities, you
will find a snapshot of municipal leadership and excellence
in Canada; each of the 12 city profiles includes a selection
of international comparators.
Our work draws on the evidence of good practice offered
by the local councils, municipal departments, agencies and
community partners who generously shared their stories
with us, so that we could promote the excellence and
innovation they represent with cities around the world.
Throughout the municipal series, we have also benefited
enormously from the insights and experiences of leaders
in this field. In all of our work, we are honoured to work
with partners, like-minded institutions and networks of city
and community leaders, experts, practitioners and activists
whose daily work challenges us all to transform good ideas
into effective levers of change.
4
good ideas that are at the core of this report and other
volumes in the series, and Evelyn Siu for coordinating
the myriad ways that we share these stories with others.
The full set of publications in this series is available at
www.citiesofmigration.org.
Kim Turner
Project Leader
Cities of Migration
Canada – Ratna Omidvar
Table of Contents
Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Canada
3
Karen Leibovici
Introduction: Leading with Ideas 7
Ratna Omidvar
Calgary, Alberta
9
Calgary’s Employment Forums Go Face-to-Face
Edmonton, Alberta
10
Racism Free Edmonton
Halifax, Nova Scotia
11
Making Connections
Montreal, Quebec
12
A Charter of Rights for Urban Citizens
Montreal, Quebec
13
Internships, ‘Canadian’ Experience and Employment
Richmond Hill, Ontario
14
Welcoming Diverse Leadership
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
15
Reflecting the City: Employment Equity at Work
Toronto, Ontario
16
Doing It Right: Recruiting Diversity into Police Ranks
Toronto, Ontario
17
Move Over Hockey? Cricket’s in Town
Toronto, Ontario
18
The Great Equalizer: Toronto Public Library
Toronto, Ontario
19
Access Without Fear: Building a City of Sanctuary
Vancouver, British Columbia
20
The Vancouver Dialogues Project
Historical Context and Background on the Canadian Experiment
21
Alan Broadbent
5
“Vancouver is a global leader and as Mayor
I’m committed to ensuring Vancouver
becomes one of the most open and civically
engaged cities in the world”
Mayor Gregor Robertson
Vancouver, Canada
Leading with Ideas – Ratna Omidvar
Introduction: Leading with Ideas
Ratna Omidvar
President, Maytree
Cities play a leading role on the stage of global migration.
nondiscrimination), as service providers (settlement,
As places that exercise an enormous pull on the
education, housing, police, etc.), as employers and diversity
imagination of immigrants in search of better lives, they are
managers, and as the drivers of the local economy – from
magnets for the skills, talents and energy of an increasingly
infrastructure and procurement to support for investment,
mobile global population. The most successful cities tap
entrepreneurship and small business incubation.
into the hopes, dreams and aspirations of immigrants and,
by helping them succeed, they create prosperity in their
communities for all.
Leadership is about change. It is not about preserving
the status quo, but finding new opportunities to allow
all residents to thrive. For example, Montreal’s city
Around the world, cities are on the front lines of
charter promotes urban citizenship, and Vancouver’s new
immigrant integration because they understand that the
inclusionary take on multiculturalism brings together
lived experience of settlement is intensely local and that the
immigrant and Aboriginal communities. Toronto City
success or failure of immigrant integration has a significant
Council’s surprise decision to enact the Access Without
impact on their communities. These cities build inclusion
Fear policy makes Toronto Canada’s first city of sanctuary
into public policy, develop services that are essential,
for irregular and non-status residents or temporary
provide new opportunities for business development and
workers whose status is in flux.
pay attention to infrastructure design. As Jane Jacobs wisely
observed, the level of government closest to the people is
best positioned to serve the people.
Cities are places of accident, experiment and design;
their “genius” is their capacity to leap across the chaos
and inherent complexity to accommodate the ordinary
Resilient city leadership matters. City mayors and councilors
business of people living together. And they do it in
hold the keys to a progressive agenda which can create a
myriad ways! Through the usual and less usual suspects,
foundation for future urban prosperity for all city residents.
meaning not just diversity officers and settlement workers,
The most enlightened city leaders understand that the sheer
but also police, business, emergency workers, planners,
necessity of living and working side by side and getting
unions, banks, airports, sport and recreation, hospitals,
on with the business of daily life is a natural driver for
schools, parks and city streets. In Canada, new gateway
solutions, good ideas, new arrangements and compromises.
cities like Saskatoon, are getting it right, from the top
Leading cities are listening, responding and learning from
down; Toronto is looking at municipal voting, taking a
each other.
page from Dublin and Oslo. Together these stories provide
Whatever the legal and jurisdictional framework, cities
have a range of levers which they can deploy to introduce
change – through policy instruments (equality, inclusion,
a compelling narrative about the new urban mainstream
and how it’s transforming how we live, work and play in
today’s cities.
7
Introduction
In “Canada: Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal
Leadership in Immigrant Integration,” we are pleased to present
a tasting menu of some of the best integration practices
from cities across Canada. In this publication, you will
read about how cities and immigration are key to Canada’s
future prosperity. How cities like Halifax and Cagary are
working with employers and local businesses to ensure
recent immigrants find employment in their field. How
public institutions like the Toronto Public Library can play
an important role in the integration of immigrants and
their families. Why the Toronto Police Service has changed
itself to reflect the new demographic reality of the most
diverse city of Canada. How Richmond Hill is creating
governance structures that are both responsible and
representative. How employment practices in Saskatoon
are changing the city’s organizational culture and modelling
good governance to the institutions, industries, employers
and ordinary citizens across the urban landscape.
Cities are learning from cities. Some of the cities featured
in this report are old hands at integration – such as
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Others are newer
immigrant gateways – regional capitals like Saskatoon and
Halifax, or newly minted suburban cities like the Town of
Richmond Hill. These emerging leaders are leap-frogging
over traditional steps in integration policy and making
immigrant inclusion a top priority. They are welcoming
their newest residents and facilitating their social, economic
and political participation.
We believe that these practices will excite you, and we hope
you will be interested in adapting and replicating some of
them to your local context. After all, cities have a unique
capacity to learn from each other, regardless of where they
are located. ¾
8
“Cities of Migration illuminates these stories
of municipal leadership and successful
practice. It has built an international
network of local practitioners sharing
their work. It connects them in a variety
of ways, so that good ideas travel at the
speed of light, with the click of a button,
or the sound of a voice over a telephone
line. What a wonderful opportunity, then,
for Canadian municipalities to share their
best ideas in immigrant integration while
learning from the experience, on the ground
solutions and success of cities outside
Canada - in Europe, the United States, in
New Zealand and Australia and beyond. We
hope you will find new ideas to inspire your
work in your own city.”
Alan Broadbent
Chairman, Maytree
Canada – Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
Calgary’s Employment Forums Go Faceto-Face
Bringing the city’s hiring managers face-to-face with
immigrant job-seekers
Cheryl Goldsmith, a human resources advisor at the City of
Calgary, believes that many immigrants to Canada want to
work for municipalities because government jobs are held in
high regard in their countries of origin.
The challenge is to ensure that those who are
enthusiastically applying to work at the City are a good
match for the jobs.
focus on our partners in the immigrant employment and
settlement sector,” Goldsmith explains.
An upside to this multifaceted approach to immigrant
recruitment has been an overall improvement in human
resources services at the City of Calgary. The City now has
International Qualifications Assessment Services guides
Goldsmith and her colleagues worked with the Immigrant
available online, which allows both human resources and
Sector Council of Calgary to establish the Immigrant
hiring managers to quickly check international credentials.
Employment Partnership Project. Their mandate is to
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
“promote employment for newcomers and other immigrant
stakeholders in Calgary, and to educate these groups about the
careers available with the City of Calgary,” says Goldsmith.
The project has been an outstanding success. This is partly
due to the emphasis on employment forums – a “one-stop
shop” for new Canadian professionals interested in a career
with the City.
Each forum provides direct interaction with City of Calgary
hiring managers. A typical forum begins with a presentation
on the recruitment process, followed by individual hiring
managers presenting information on how their profession
is practised within the municipality. Ultimately, managers sit
down one-on-one with the immigrants, who get a chance to
ask questions. “This is valued as one of the best parts of the
forum,” says Goldsmith.
— — COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Engaging in Copenhagen
Taking a diversity charter to the business community
— — Hamburg, Germany
We are Hamburg! Won’t you join us?
An innovative marketing campaign recruits diversity into local
government while promoting inclusion across the city
— — MUNICH, GERMANY
Reaching out to Migrant Entrepreneurs in Munich
Recognizing the contribution of immigrant entrepreneurs helps
promote small business success and build a network of business leaders
Contact
City of Calgary
While in the past the forums have focused on the
Human Resources
immigrant professionals and immigrant employment
P.O. Box 2100, Stn. M
counsellors, the partnership now will also focus on
Calgary, AB T2P 2M5
employers. “We always make sure to keep a balanced
www.calgary.ca
9
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
Racism Free Edmonton
A municipal commitment to end racism creates space for
conversations about race, diversity and inclusion
In the increasingly diverse city of Edmonton, Alberta,
24,000 residents have pledged to speak up for a city free
from racism. “Eliminating racism is another step towards
making Edmonton a great place to live for everyone,”
explains Ann Mah, Edmonton Public Schools.
distributed postcards and large scrolls around the city, and
residents committed to specific actions to eliminate racism.
Today, partners share best practices, while RFE offers public
events and anti-discrimination training to public institutions
Racism Free Edmonton explicitly names the racism and
and community organizations like the Edmonton Police
discrimination that many Edmontonians face, challenging
Services, where all senior leaders have received training.
the polite Canadian conversation on multiculturalism and
the idea that racism is no longer a problem in Canada. It
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
makes a clear statement that racism is unacceptable, and has
created a space to talk about experiences of racism openly,
and to explore how widespread these experiences are.
When the Canadian Commission for UNESCO launched
the Canadian Coalition of Municipalities Against Racism and
Discrimination (CCMARD), Edmonton was among the first
cities to join. In 2007, Racism Free Edmonton (RFE) was
established and incorporated into the Deputy City Manager’s
Office as an expression of the city’s commitment to action.
Racism Free Edmonton is a collaboration between 16
government departments, educational institutions and
community organizations committed to working together to
build an inclusive community across the areas of education,
employment, housing, media, policing and justice, and youth.
“Edmontonians affirmed their commitment to being an
— — Barcelona, Spain
Fighting Fiction with Facts: the BCN Anti-Rumour
Campaign
City Council enlists community agents to dispel myths about
immigrants and fight discrimination with facts and good humour
— — FORT WAYNE, UNITED STATES
Gateway to Little Burma
New gateway cities make newcomer communities count -and
be counted.
— — Valongo, Portugal
Do not Judge a Book by Its Cover
A living library uses life stories to engage young people and break
down prejudice and stereotypes about diversity
Contact
inclusive city,” says City councillor Amarjeet Sohi. “We must
City of Edmonton
work together to continue our strategic work to identify and
8th Floor CN Tower, 10004-104 Avenue
prevent discrimination. This work calls for courage, and,
Edmonton, AB T5J 0K1
above all, partnership.”
[email protected]
In 2010, RFE launched its public awareness campaign,
“I’m Committed to a Racism Free Edmonton.” Partners
10
www.racismfreeedmonton.ca
Canada – Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
Making Connections
Business needs talent. Talent needs opportunity.
A networking program completes the equation
Most highly skilled newcomers face a common challenge
when looking for work – a lack of local connections and
networks. Recognizing that the availability of jobs is the
primary factor in a newcomer’s decision to stay or leave,
Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has made workforce
recruitment and retention a primary goal and has engaged
the Greater Halifax Partnership (the Partnership), the city’s
lead economic development organization, to deliver a
winning local solution – the Halifax Connector Program.
The Connector Program is designed to meet recruitment
and retention goals by building and expanding networks
representing some 300 organizations have already
participated, working with 428 international students and
newcomers. Further, 177 new immigrants have found jobs
in Halifax through the program. It’s no surprise that the
program is being replicated in 14 other cities across Canada.
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
between newcomers to Halifax and established members of
the community.
While the challenge is complex, the program provides a
simple solution and creates an opportunity for an immigrant
— — Auckland, New Zealand
From Alpha to Omega: Innovating in the Workplace
Importing a successful labour force integration model saves time
and money
to engage with the business community.
— — NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES
Partnership President and CEO Paul Kent explains:
“Connectors meet one-on-one with participants, at their
office or for coffee, to share their knowledge about their
organization or industry sector and current labour market
demands. And then they give the participant referrals to
three other contacts in their network.”
The low tech, high touch approach is working. As Prasad
Ranay, a program participant, puts it: “For me, being a
Competition THRIVE: Making the City Stronger
A business plan competition to help immigrant entrepreneurs with
small business ventures
— — WOLVERHAMPTON, UNITED KINGDOM
Wolverhampton India Project
Immigrants and transnational networks give a city a strategic
advantage in an ever more globalized world
Contact
person from outside of Halifax, it makes a lot of sense
for the initial touch and contact with the community. It’s
Greater Halifax Partnership
expanded my network as well as expanded my skills and
1969 Upper Water Street
reach in the community.”
Purdy’s Tower II, Suite 2101
According to Paul Kent, the Connector Program illustrates
the power of relationships. More than 500 local connectors
Halifax, NS B3J 3R7
[email protected]
www.greaterhalifax.com
11
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
Montréal Charter
Rights
Responsibilities
A Charter of Rights for Urban Citizens
of
A Charter of Rights and Responsibilities comes to Montreal
and
Montreal occupies a unique position within Canada,
providing services that respect its French and English
heritage in a province that is officially French-speaking. It is
also Quebec’s economic hub, and receives the majority of
the province’s immigrants.
In 2006, Montreal became the first North American city to
received much international attention, including recognition in
take the step of establishing a municipal Charter of Rights
2005 by UNESCO and UN HABITAT as a ground-breaking
and Responsibilities, following the lead of many European
ville.montreal.qc.ca/charterofrights
document.
In October 2011, Montreal placed fifth out of 40
cities. For former Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay, the
cities in the Intercultural Cities Index (Council of Europe).
charter and its translation into Spanish, Mandarin and
Arabic represents an important moment in the life of the
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
city: “It’s a legacy because it’s our values that unite us as a
people and if we have those values and we start focusing on
what’s essential – family, the community, proper housing,
parks, cultural activities – we are sharing our values.”
The Charter lays out responsibilities that the municipal
government and citizens have towards each other. It
also lays out the city’s common principles and values. It
advocates that active citizenship is necessary to build trust
and belonging in the city. Diversity is seen as a resource
— — BARCELONA, SPAIN
From Neighbours to Citizens: the Barcelona
Interculturality Plan
A roadmap to the intercultural city based on common values, civic
participation and everyday interactions
— — BOSTON, UNITED STATES
Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians
An agency dedicated to helping the city’s newcomers connect with
city government services
that “is further enhanced by fostering the inclusion of and
harmonious relations among its communities and persons
of all origins.”
The Charter outlines the rights and responsibilities under
seven broad themes, including democratic life, environment
and sustainable development, and municipal services. It
— — Stuttgart, Germany
The Stuttgart Pact for Integration: the Power of
Planning
Urban leadership creates an inclusive integration strategy for full
community participation
Contact
also empowers an independent ombudsman to investigate
complaints based on the charter.
An innovation for North America, the Montreal Charter
follows in the footsteps of many European cities that have
embraced the “Right to the City.” The Montreal Charter has
12
Ville de Montréal
275 rue Notre-Dame Est, Suite 3.108
Montreal, QC H2Y 1C6
[email protected]
www.ville.montreal.qc.ca
Canada – Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
Internships, ‘Canadian’ Experience and
Employment
Program helps newcomers integrate into the city’s workforce
through on-the-job training, mentoring and coaching
“This program promotes intercultural and intergenerational
New immigrants to Canada face a challenging dilemma
understanding while promoting careers in Montreal’s public
when trying to find jobs commensurate with their skills
service,” says Mary Deros, a member of the City’s executive
and experiences: they can’t get a job without Canadian
committee responsible for diverse communities.
experience, but they can’t get that experience without a
Canadian job.
Since the launch of the program in 2006, 269 people have
With nearly two million inhabitants, the Montreal region
internships. Within this group, 76% have been employed by
is home to more than 120 cultural communities, 21%
the City of Montreal.
of whom are immigrants (2006 census) and the City of
Montreal is the region’s largest employer. With more than
participated and 58% have found permanent jobs after their
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
25,000 employees, it recognized that “Canadian experience”
was a barrier preventing many bright and talented
individuals from fully participating in the local labour force.
To help newcomers, as well as recent graduates, overcome
— — BARCELONA, SPAIN
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Immigrants
What’s good for business is good for new immigrants and
entrepreneurs
that barrier and help the City be more reflective of the
population it serves, the City launched the Professional
Sponsorship Program (Programme de parrainage
professionnel) in 2006.
The program includes a six-month paid internship with
the City of Montreal and aims to increase the workforce
integration of ethnic and visible minorities, who account for
nearly 85% of participants. To be eligible for the program,
applicants must have a post-secondary degree or diploma
and less than one year of work experience in Quebec in a
field related to their education.
— — Bremen, Germany
You Are the Key: Your Future, Your City
A youth recruitment campaign to bring diversity into a city’s future
workforce
— — Wuppertal, Germany
From Asylum to Employment: The Wuppertal
Participation Network
A multi-sector job readiness initiative that helps asylum seekers
access the labour market
Contact
The work placements include a wide range of positions
Ville de Montréal
and give participants the opportunity to be mentored by an
801 rue Brennan
employee, develop their skills in a stimulating job related to
Pavillon Duke Nord, Suite 5151.09
the field in which they trained, and learn to adapt to a new
Montreal, QC H3C 0G4
workplace culture.
[email protected]
www.ville.montreal.qc.ca
13
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
Welcoming Diverse Leadership
A growing municipality takes steps to improve minority
representation on civic boards
The suburban community of Richmond Hill has doubled
in size to 185,000 within 20 years, its growth largely fuelled
by immigration to the Greater Toronto Area. Today
visible minorities constitute almost 50% of its population.
Rapid change is not without challenges. Some long-time
of committee members and how to become active in their
residents resist the change. Some newcomers report feeling
local government.
unwelcome.
Richmond Hill’s new appointments process opened doors to
In 2009, local leaders met the challenge head-on with
citizens who might otherwise have never become involved
a new strategic plan guided by a single phrase, “We are
in municipal governance. Visible minorities now account for
a welcoming community.” Over 2,000 residents had
22% of the membership of all citizen committees.
participated in the community consultation. Outreach
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
to diverse communities became a top priority and key to
making the Town of Richmond Hill and its governance
more inclusive and reflective of its diversity.
To ensure its diverse communities were represented on its
citizens committees, the Town approached DiverseCity
onBoard (DoB) for assistance. Launched in 2005, DoB
works to bridge the growing gap between the diversity of
Toronto’s population and its leaders, and to help connect
public institutions to the talent they need.
The DoB program identifies qualified pre-screened
candidates from visible minorities and immigrant
communities for professional appointments on the
governance bodies of public agencies, boards, commissions,
committees and voluntary organizations. DoB’s highly
— — ANTWERP, BELGIUM
Minding Minority Interests at City Hall
A city council invites a federation of minority groups to improve
community relations
— — DUBLIN, IRELAND
Did You Know You Can Vote? Cities and Democracy
at Work
A city framework for integration makes voting rights the key to
immigrant empowerment
— — BERLIN, GERMANY
Berlin: Testing Diversity in City Councils
Monitoring diversity in local democratic institutions
Contact
successful community engagement process has matched over
600 individuals to board and committee positions to date.
The Town partnered with DoB on its public appointment
process, hosting an open house to deepen outreach to
Town of Richmond Hill
225 East Beaver Creek Road
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4
potential committee members, while creating an opportunity
[email protected]
to help residents learn about the roles and responsibilities
www.richmondhill.ca
14
Canada – Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
Reflecting the City: Employment Equity
at Work
Once faced with a declining population, today Saskatoon
is Canada’s fastest growing city. Thanks to a booming
provincial economy and an influx of immigrants targeting
the city through government of Saskatchewan-led
immigration programs, the number of visible minorities
has more than doubled in less than a decade, up to almost
8% from 3% in a population of 260,000. For the City of
Saskatoon, this presents not only economic opportunities
but also a new civic responsibility to ensure its government
reflects the population it serves.
The City of Saskatoon recognized that to recruit skilled
newcomers into public service, they had to remove
the barriers to employment perceived by newcomers.
The City devotes resources to developing partnerships
within immigrant communities, conducting outreach and
information sessions through well-established organizations
like the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association and
the International Women’s Association. This way, both
applicants and community workers learn about the hurdles
that can be part of the employment application process –
and how to overcome them.
One of the biggest obstacles to employment is obtaining
recognition of foreign credentials, something that must be
done before the job application process can even begin.
The City of Saskatoon helps potential applicants through
the pre-employment maze by providing information that
ranges from how to get degrees assessed to what additional
courses of study may be needed for certification. A human
resources diversity coordinator is available to provide
additional coaching and ongoing support throughout the
application process itself.
photo: Tourism Saskatoon
Building a workforce that is representative of a newly
diverse population through community outreach,
partnerships and pre-employment coaching
Compared to cities like Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal,
Saskatoon’s new demographic profile puts it at the infancy
stage of diversity. However, like many new gateway cities,
the city is getting it right from the start. In 2013, the City of
Saskatoon was recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity
Employers for the second year in a row.
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
— — Philadelphia, United States
The Philadelphia Story: Economic Integration
through Integrated Services
Access to capital and business counselling promotes
entrepreneurial success and helps revitalize city neighbourhoods
— — Oslo, Norway
Oslo Extra Large
Making city leadership accountable to its policies for inclusion
— — Aachen, Germany
Relying on Immigrant Networks: Business Network
Aachen
The city establishes local immigrant network to develop
international economic opportunities
Contact
City of Saskatoon
222 3rd Ave North
Saskatoon, SK S7K 0J5
[email protected]
www.saskatoon.ca
15
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
Doing It Right: Recruiting Diversity into
Police Ranks
Delivering police services in partnership with the city’s
diverse communities keeps Toronto safe
To remain relevant in increasingly diverse communities, a
growing number of police services around the globe have
recognized the importance of diversity in their own ranks.
This is particularly the case in Canada’s largest city, Toronto,
where over 140 languages and dialects are spoken and 49%
of residents belong to a visible minority.
When Chief Bill Blair took office in 2005, he quickly
realized that the Toronto Police Service (TPS), the largest
municipal police service in Canada, did not reflect the city’s
two languages or more, including American Sign Language,
Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, French, Hindi, Italian, Korean,
Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, to
name just a few.
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
growing diversity.
He took decisive action and appointed the city’s first black
deputy chief, Keith Forde. “Not because it was morally the
right thing to do,” Blair explained, “but because it was the
— — Madrid, Spain
On the Front Lines of Integration
Creating confidence in community policing through consultation
and local recruitment
smart thing to do. It was good business practice and it was
going to make us more competent, smarter and better able
to serve the communities we are mandated to serve and
protect.” Deputy Chief Forde’s role was not token – he was
put in charge of the organization’s transformation.
And transformed it was. Since 2005, the proportion of
visible minorities has increased by 86% and Aboriginals by
38%. TPS’ Employment Unit is guided by a new “recruiting,
hiring, and customer relations” strategy that includes an
ambassador program, a media and communications plan,
and an enhanced mentoring and recruiting plan.
— — Christchurch, New Zealand
Community First: Christchurch’s Emergency Response
Cultural outreach and community engagement helps police and
social services be prepared to help newcomers during crisis
— — NEWPORT NEWS, UNITED STATES
Police Take Community Outreach to City Hall
Community policing transforms crime reduction into a city-wide
commitment to quality service delivery and community trust
Contact
Toronto Police Service
Today TPS actively recruits in Toronto’s diverse
40 College Street
communities, emphasizing the importance of language
Toronto, ON M5G 2J3
skills, cultural competencies and diversity of perspectives.
[email protected]
The recruit class of 2009 is a great example. It was made up
www.torontopolice.on.ca
of 16% women and 33% visible minorities. A total of 60%
spoke a language other than English, with 22% speaking
16
Canada – Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
Move Over Hockey? Cricket’s in Town
A mayor’s cricket tournament brings youth and community
partners together to support diversity, team building and
leadership development
With more than 50 school teams across the city and pitches
in public parks, fans call cricket the fastest growing sport in
Toronto.
In 2011, the City of Toronto initiated the Chartered Institute
of Management Accountants’ (CIMA) Mayor’s School Cricket
Tournament to recognize the city’s thriving public school
cricket program. The tournament builds on the success of a
Mayor’s Tournament that has brought the city and corporate
and community partners together every summer since 2005 to
enjoy the centuries-old game of cricket.
The success of this 2011 pilot program was all it took to
persuade the Toronto Catholic School Board (TCDSB)
and the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) to join the
partnership and promote the 2012 tournament within the
school system.
Youth and cricket are a winning combination. CIMA
chairman Amal Ratnayake explains: “As good management
accountants, our members understand the value of
partnerships in community building. We are delighted to be
able to build a strong partnership between TDSB, TCDSB,
the City of Toronto and CIBC to engage our young people
through the game of cricket.”
The CIMA School cricket program has raised the game’s
profile and introduced cricket as a vehicle for team building,
cross-cultural communication and leadership development.
It also provides Toronto’s diverse population of young
cricketers with an opportunity to continue playing a game
they have grown to love while raising the profile of young
stars across the community.
In 2012, the CIMA Tournament brought some 40 school
cricket teams from across Toronto together to compete.
Eight teams qualified to play in the finals and around a
thousand people attended.
City of Toronto spokesperson Ranil Mendis notes the
growing number of influential community partners. In
2012, organizations such as Go Transit, CBC, the Toronto
Sun and the Toronto Star newspaper, and the Toronto
Police Service all fielded cricket teams.
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
— — Greenwich, United Kingdom
Giving Equality a Sporting Chance in Greenwich
Using sport, art and new social media to build strong, active and
inclusive communities
— — Torre Pacheco, Spain
Thinking Big: A Film Festival Highlights Small Town
Diversity
An intercultural approach to community engagement that includes
health and housing while celebrating diversity through the arts,
new media and an international film festival
— — AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
Walking School Bus
School parents promote child health and safely while building
community, one step at a time
Contact
CIMA Canada
36 Toronto Street, Suite 850
Toronto, ON M5C 2C5
[email protected]
www.cima.mayorscricket.com
17
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
The Great Equalizer: Toronto Public
Library
Public libraries reach out to new immigrants with tailormade settlement services
Few institutions reflect and serve the diversity within the
City of Toronto better than the Toronto Public Library
(TPL). It is one of the busiest urban public library systems
in the world, with 98 branches, 1.3 million card-holders
and a collection of 11 million items. Recent immigrants
are among the library’s regular patrons – in fact, more new
Canadians are logged as “frequent users” than the overall
Toronto average.
Why? Because TPL has worked hard to reach out to new
TPL was one of three public library systems selected by
Citizenship and Immigration Canada to pilot LSPs in 2007.
Following the success of the pilot programs, LSPs have
expanded to include eleven public library systems in the
province of Ontario.
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
immigrants, building a collection of materials in more than
40 languages, hosting English as a second language (ESL)
classes in library branches, and dedicating a section on their
website to newcomers to Canada.
For all Torontonians, the public library is an open, free
and accessible community space that has been called “the
great equalizer” in a recent report by the Canadian Centre
for Policy Alternatives-Ontario. For recent immigrants,
the library is also a space to meet others and access the
— — Auckland, New Zealand
Bookshelves and Bollywood: Delivering on Diversity
Library services reflect the city’s growing diversity and tomorrow’s
information needs
— — Madrid, Spain
The Open Library Welcomes the World at Home
Multilingual services and bilingual intercultural mediators create
inclusive public space and a sense of welcome for new communities
resources that can help them settle into their new home.
— — New York City, United States
In particular, TPL hosts a Library Settlement Partnership
(LSP), funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada,
which places settlement workers in public libraries. The
workers provide multilingual one-on-one information and
referral services, as well as group information sessions to
Staying in Touch: The Library Responds to a Changing
Community
Tracking community demographics helps a city library change
with the times
Contact
new immigrants on a range of topics, such as how to get
provincial health insurance and driver’s licences, register
Toronto Public Library, Library Settlement
children in school, and where to find job search help and
Partnerships
programs. Settlement workers also connect clients to library
789 Yonge Street
staff for assistance with library programs and special
Toronto, ON M4W 2G8
services, such as TPL’s Business Development Centre or
[email protected]
income tax clinic.
www.torontopubliclibrary.ca
18
Canada – Municipal Leadership on Immigrant Integration
Access Without Fear: Building a City of
Sanctuary
Non-status or undocumented immigrants can access city
services without fear of deportation
On February 21, 2013, Toronto became the first Canadian
municipality to formally provide a sanctuary for non-status
health and safety of all residents, and contribute to the city’s
or undocumented immigrants. While the City of Toronto
prosperity. After all, most of them pay taxes.
has long had an informal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy that
meant city staff could do their jobs without asking about
immigration status, it is now implementing a formal Access
Without Fear policy.
As Toronto Star reporter Nicholas Keung wrote, “Council’s
vote was significant at a time when the undocumented
population is expected to surge in 2015, when many legal
With Access Without Fear, Toronto joins 36 American
cities, adopting a formal policy allowing all residents access
to municipal services, regardless of immigration status. As
a result of Toronto’s decisions, the city of Hamilton is also
considering such a policy.
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
but temporary foreign workers will see their four-year work
permits expire under a new federal law and potentially
move ‘underground.’”
City staff is reviewing ways to implement the decision,
including ensuring that all residents have access by removing
identification requirements to a wide range of core service
areas, such as healthcare, education, income support
programs, employment protection, affordable housing,
settlement services, social assistance and legal services. At
— — NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES
Urban Citizens: Municipal Identification Cards (ID)
for Inclusive and Safe Communities
Proactive city government takes the lead nationally on recognizing
the interests of all city residents
— — London, United Kingdom
The London Living Wage Campaign
City of London signs on to successful community campaign to
improve city wages and monitor employment practices
the time of the vote, Toronto City Council also requested
the Federal government establish a regularization program
for undocumented residents and that the Provincial
government review opening access to its funded services.
Staff will consult widely with community groups, some
of whom were instrumental in bringing this policy change
— — Sheffield, United Kingdom
Cities of Sanctuary, Communities of Welcome
An official city policy to welcome those in need builds a
community supportive of refugees and new immigrants
Contact
to Council. Many are part of the Solidarity City Network,
City of Toronto
an informal collective of Toronto residents who advocate
100 Queen Street West
for regularization of undocumented people. Their key
argument, supported by the City, is that undocumented
people need access to services to reduce fear, increase public
Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
[email protected]
www.toronto.ca
19
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
The Vancouver Dialogues Project
Increasing intercultural understanding and connection
between Aboriginal and immigrant communities
Vancouver’s earliest Chinese immigrants referred to
Canada as a place of opportunity – the Gold Mountain.
Less well-known, Turtle Island is the legendary name used
by many First Nations people. As one of Canada’s three
founding nations, Aboriginal communities are largely
absent from conversations about diversity and Canada’s
official multicultural policies. Immigrant communities have
little chance for interaction and often maintain outdated
stereotypes. Yet both groups have much in common, rich
cultural histories as well as the experience of displacement,
racism, and living outside of the mainstream.
The success of the Dialogues Project has inspired others.
The Vancouver School Board Settlement Program started
its own cultural exchange project, involving more than 200
families to examine the ties between the Aboriginal and
Chinese communities. The City of Vancouver also has plans
for a new online Newcomers’ Guide to First Nations, the
first of its kind (to be launched in 2014).
Related Good Ideas at citiesofmigration.org
In Vancouver, where almost half the population is foreignborn, immigrants and Aboriginal peoples represent the
two fastest growing demographic groups. Seeking a new
approach to the city’s diversity and multicultural identity,
in 2007 the City of Vancouver adopted an immigration
— — Wellington, New Zealand
Bringing Maori Culture to Newcomers: The
Wellington Regional Settlement Strategy
A collaborative approach to connect newcomers with Māori, the
people of the land
plan that recognized the importance of First Nations and
urban Aboriginals. By 2010, the innovative “Dialogues
Project” was launched to create “understanding and a
strong relationship between indigenous and immigrant
communities with the City.”
Developed by the Social Planning Division in collaboration
with 27 community partners, “Dialogues Between First
Nations, Urban Aboriginal and Immigrant Communities in
Vancouver” aims to “build mutual understanding and respect”
— — Marseille, France
From Hope to Fraternity: Marseille Espérance
Mayoral leadership brings together religious communities to create
a forum for dialogue and community mediation
— — Blackburn with Darwen, United Kingdom
Meet Your Neighbours
Promoting interaction and understanding through inter-faith dialogue
Contact
through activities that include dialogue circles, community
research, and a youth and elders program. Culture exchanges
City of Vancouver
are an especially rich opportunity for exploring new and
Woodward’s Heritage Building
shared histories. The Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh Nations
Suite 501 – 111 West Hastings Street
welcome visitors to their reserves, as do the Chinese, Jewish
Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4
and Ismaili communities, while First Nations and Mayan
www.vancouver.ca
communities meet to share traditional healing practices.
20
Historical Context and Background on the Canadian Experiment – Alan Broadbent
Historical Context and Background
on the Canadian Experiment
Alan Broadbent
Chairman and CEO,
Avana Capital Corporation
Chairman, Maytree
Canada’s immigration story ebbs and flows like the great
concessions as incentives. To some extent this strategy
tides, receding in troubled and leaderless times, and flowing
worked, and it attracted immigrants from Europe and the
strongly during robust periods of nation building by some
United States.
of our visionary political leaders.
It was not until the early 20th century, however, that the
In the early settlement period, the numbers of immigrants
first dramatic increase in immigration took place. After
arriving to the land that would one day become Canada
officially becoming a country in 1867, Canadian officials
were remarkably small and influenced by events, such as
began to look at how it could protect the vast and sparsely
the Irish Famine and the American Revolution, in other
populated western part of the country. They felt it was
countries. But the War of 1812 between Britain and the
vulnerable to the aspirations of American expansionism, or
United States led a new attitude toward immigration. As
“manifest destiny” which proposed to see the U.S. take over
the British governors began to mount their defense, the
the entire continent. After taking power in 1896, Sir Wilfred
small size of Canadian population was a military liability.
Laurier included Clifford Sifton in his national cabinet.
As a result the governors at the time began an active
In this role he took on a number of tasks for Laurier, but
campaign to attract immigrants using land grants and other
none more famous and long lasting than the great effort to
populate the west.­
At the end of the 20th century and the
start of the 21st, the Canadian economy
is based on information and design,
the underpinnings of the modern world
economy. Our immigrants are being
admitted based on their suitability to
succeed in this new economy. They have
high levels of education and experience in
the modern economy, and want to work
at such jobs in Canada. Typically, they are
coming from cities to cities, contributing to
urban diversity and dynamism.
Sifton did two main things as Minister of the Interior. First,
he changed the incentives for immigration officers. Rather
than being paid a salary, he paid them on commission,
on the basis of how many immigrants they could attract.
This made them much more ambitious and aggressive in
recruiting immigrants.
Second, he mounted a relentless and seemingly ubiquitous
marketing campaign. He aimed it at the United States in
the first place. There, he knew, were former Canadians as
well as a cohort of farmers experienced in cold weather
farming, and both would bring hard assets with them from
their current farms. Less successfully, he aimed his efforts at
British farmers, but most Britains wanted to move to cities
21
Good Ideas from Successful Cities
which did not yet exist in the West. When he expanded his
The dramatic rise in population in our three main cities
recruitment campaign to include northern Europeans, he
from 1950 to the present shows this gravitation.
struck pay dirt. Thousands of European farmers settled in
the prairies in the first decade of the century.
In those target countries, Canada seemed to be everywhere.
Accounts of the time said you couldn’t pass a lamp post
in any rural village without seeing Canadian recruitment
posters. It was one of the great marketing campaigns of
the time, seemingly everywhere, targeted at rural folk with
dreams of a greater future.
To attract immigrants, Sifton made land available either
cheaply, or in some cases he provided land free through
grants. The railway was expanded to provide dependable
transportation of crops to markets, the railway companies
were encouraged to free up some of their holdings for
settlement, and the new farmers were attended to in any
way that would likely lead to their successful immigration.
Toronto
Montreal
Vancouver
1950
1,250,000
1,525,000
575,000
1980
3,000,000
2,800,000
1,250,000
2000
4,650,000
3,400,000
1,950,000
From about 1950 to 1975, between 100,000 and 150,000
immigrants arrived each year, two-thirds of them from
Britain and Europe, and about 10% from Asia.
Whereas Canada had once done its best to attract people,
the country now faced a new challenge: managing the flow
of people. In 1967, under the direction of Prime Minister
Lester Pearson, Tom Kent developed a point system which
evaluated potential immigrants to Canada based on their
education, language skills, work experience, and other
attributes thought to contribute to successful integration.
The success of the program was reflected in the fact that
It served another useful purpose which was to discontinue
from 1891 to 1902, over three million people arrived.
the practice of selecting immigrants on the basis of their
Based on a population of just over five million, this is an
country of origin or ethnic and racial background.
extraordinary increase, and one that seemed to be absorbed
with equanimity. It would be many decades, and two world
wars, before such levels would be achieved again.
In the mid 1980s, the number of immigrants jumped to
about 200,000 per year, and as a result of the point system
the countries of origin had shifted dramatically so that less
During the First World War and in its aftermath, there was
than 20% were from Britain, almost half were from Asia,
very little immigration. Even through the 1920s there was
and about 30% were from Africa, the Mideast, or South
well less than half the numbers of that booming period in
America. The “face” of Canada changed in this period, as
the first dozen years of the century. From about 1930-50,
it is common to say, because almost 80% of immigrants to
immigration was negligible, reflecting the troubled decades
Canada after 1980 were visible minorities, a category used
of the depression and the Second World War.
to describe those who are not Caucasian or white.
Starting in the 1950s, the numbers of immigrants, and
What’s more, most immigrants who arrived in this period
Canada’s population began to rise again. By the middle of
settled in three urban regions, Montreal, Vancouver and
the century, many more immigrants had skills best suited
Toronto. The combined increase in population of these
to urban areas, like brick and tile laying, tool and dye
three cities (through immigration from other countries
making, electrical and mechanical skills, and financial and
and from rural to urban migration) in 50 years is about 6.7
commercial background and training. Immigration in this
million people. By comparison, the population of Canada
period became about growing Canada’s urban centres.
increased over the same period by about 15 million. In
22
Historical Context and Background on the Canadian Experiment – Alan Broadbent
other words, these three cities accounted for almost 45%
of the country’s population growth. Over that same 50-year
period, Canada accepted about nine million immigrants,
accounting for 60% of that population growth.
The Sifton era and the era since 1980 have two similarities.
First, Canada welcomed high numbers of immigrants
both in actual terms and on a per capita basis. Second,
immigrants were strategically chosen based on the needs of
the Canadian economy. In Sifton’s time, the strength and
promise of the economy was farming, and his populating
of the west led to the development of Canada’s wheat
industry. At the end of the 20th century and the start of
the 21st, the Canadian economy is based on information
and design, the underpinnings of the modern world
economy. Our immigrants are being admitted based on
their suitability to succeed in this new economy. They have
high levels of education and experience in the modern
economy, and want to work at such jobs in Canada.
Typically, they are coming from cities to cities, contributing
to urban diversity and dynamism. ¾
Canada’s immigration story ebbs and flows
like the great tides, receding in troubled
and leaderless times, and flowing strongly
during robust periods of nation building by
some of our visionary political leaders.
23
In Good Ideas from Successful Cities: Municipal
Leadership in Immigrant Integration, we share
international good practices from cities across Canada,
Good Ideas from
Successful Cities
Municipal Leadership
the United States, Europe and Australasia.
on Immigrant Integration
A Maytree idea
GERMANY
Municipal Leadership
sful Cities
Good Ideas from Succes
Integration
on Immigrant
Municipal Leadership
NEW ZEALAND
UNITED KINGDOM
SPAIN
sful Cities
Good Ideas from Succes
Integration
sful Cities
Good Ideas from Succes
Integration
on Immigrant
Municipal Leadership
Municipal Leadership
UNITED STATES
CANADA
sful Cities
Good Ideas from Succes
e Perspective
sful Cities
Good Ideas from Succes
e Perspective
sful Cities
Good Ideas from Succes
Integration
on Immigrant
Regional Snapshots in
on Immigrant
Comparativ
Regional Snapshots in
Comparativ
A Maytree idea
A Maytree idea
A Maytree idea
A Maytree idea
A Maytree idea
A Maytree idea
Country Snapshots: A series of companion reports offers additional examples of
innovation and good practice from cities in selected countries.
Practice to Policy
ership on
Lessons from Local Lead
Immigrant Integration
Additionally, in Practice to Policy: Lessons from Local Leadership on Immigrant
Integration, four international experts provide policy insights and recommendations
for city leaders and their community partners.
www.citiesofmigration.org
A Maytree idea
A Maytree idea